June 24 is the Feast of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, the cousin of Christ who leaped in his mother Elizabeth's womb at the Visitation, when the Virgin Mary came to share with her the good news she had been given at the Annunciation.
Christians, of course, normally commemorate the day that a saint died, not the day that he was born, because his death represents his rebirth into eternal life. There are only three exceptions to this rule: Christ (which is why we celebrate Christmas); the Virgin Mary (whose nativity we celebrate on September 8, nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception); and St. John the Baptist.
It would be natural to think that the reason exceptions are made for Christ and the Blessed Virgin is because of their central importance to the mystery of our salvation. But in fact, the reason why we celebrate their births is the same reason why we celebrate the nativity of John the Baptist. Traditionally, Catholics have seen John the Baptist's leap in his mother's womb as a type of Baptism, and thus believe that he is one of only three people born without Original Sin--Christ Himself and the Blessed Virgin being the other two. The difference, of course, is that both Christ and the Virgin Mary were conceived without sin, while John the Baptist was conceived in sin but cleansed before his birth. (See What Is the Immaculate Conception? for more on God's preservation of Mary from Original Sin.)
John the Baptist dedicated his life to calling the Jews to repentance. He is called the Forerunner of Christ, because he "prepared the way of the Lord" through his "voice crying out in the wilderness." In traditional iconography, he is depicted with wings like an angel, because angels are messengers between God and man.
Ah! Thsnk you for telling us about the depiction of the wings — why they are there. I never had figured that one out!
Very cool. I love learning about artistic symbolism – most depictions of saints include some kind of symbol so you can tell who’s in the picture.
I have never heard that Catholic dogma includes John the Baptist as being free from original sin – can you provide any authority for that?
Tina, check the article on John the Baptist in the Catholic Encyclopedia. Here’s the relevant section:
It’s important to note that he wasn’t “free of original sin” in the sense that Mary and Jesus were. He wasn’t conceived without Original Sin; rather, he was cleansed of Original Sin before his birth.
I don’t understand original sin. Didn’t Jesus die for all of our sins?
Hi Maureen,
I’m sure that Scott will provide a more in-depth answer to your question but the difference (at least as I understand it) between Original Sin and ‘sins’ is that as humans we are born into Original Sin, separated from God because of Adam’s actions in the Garden of Eden. Jesus did come to die for our sins both by bridging that separation between us and God (Original Sin) and by cleansing us through His grace from our specific sins. Because God, in Christ became Man, suffered, died, was buried and rose again on the third day we can again be in the presence of God and no longer be separated (this is why the cloth around the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn in two. However, we still live in a broken world as a result of Adam’s sin and we still enter into this world separated from God (Original Sin) and we still commit all sorts of sins, large and small. But because of Jesus and God’s love for us, that’s not the end of the story.
Does that make sense?
Scott, who painted it? Or did I not see the attribution? And when? And where? Looks Gothic to me, and late 14th/early 15th century, but I have Italian blinders.
Thank you for your great article on Baptists vs catholics. I really appreciate your work on that one. Cheers, Jacueline.
Thank you for teaching me about John the Baptist. It is very valueable information about him and original sin. I must go home today and teach my daughter, son and husband about John the Baptist. Great.